In May 1943, the war in North Africa came to an end in Tunisia with the defeat of the Axis powers by a combined Allied force.
The campaign began on 8 November 1942, when Commonwealth and American troops made a series of landings in Algeria and Morocco. The Germans responded immediately by sending a force from Sicily to northern Tunisia, which checked the Allied advance east in early December. In the south, the Axis forces defeated at El Alamein withdrew into Tunisia along the coast through Libya, pursued by the Allied Eighth Army. By mid April 1943, the combined Axis force was hemmed into a small corner of north-eastern Tunisia and the Allies were grouped for their final offensive.
Medjez-el-Bab was at the limit of the Allied advance in December 1942 and remained on the front line until the decisive Allied advances of April and May 1943.
The MEDJEZ-EL-BAB MEMORIAL commemorates almost 2,000 men of the First Army who died during the operations in Algeria and Tunisia between 8 November 1942 and 19 February 1943, and those of the First and Eighth Armies who died in operations in the same areas between 20 February 1943 and 13 May 1943, and who have no known graves.
The memorial stands within MEDJEZ-EL-BAB WAR CEMETERY where 2,903 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War are buried or commemorated. 385 of the burials are unidentified. Special memorials commemorate three soldiers buried in Tunis (Borgel) Cemetery and one in Youks-les-Bains Cemetery, whose graves are now lost.
The five First World War burials in Medjez-el-Bab War Cemetery were brought in from Tunis (Belvedere) Cemetery or in Carthage (Basilica Karita) Cemetery in 1950.
The MEMORIAL and CEMETERY were designed by Sir J. Hubert Worthington.
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SURNAME
Fisher
FORENAME
Harold Restarick
UNIT
1 Bn (HQ Troop,S Company)
RANK
Lance Corporal
NUMBER
3774869
DATE OF DEATH
5th February 1943
AGE
23
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Essex
resided Cheshire
enlisted 1939
8 (Irish)...
-
SURNAME
Colechin
FORENAME
Philip Mark
UNIT
1 Bn (R Company)
RANK
Private
NUMBER
6017441
DATE OF DEATH
3rd-5th February 1943
AGE
21
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 35
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born London E
resided London E
son of Mark and Mary...
-
SURNAME
Wood
FORENAME
Sydney Charles William
UNIT
1 Bn (Mortar Platoon)
RANK
Sergeant
NUMBER
6897952
DATE OF DEATH
3rd February 1943
AGE
21
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born London N
resided London N
son of William and Mary...
-
SURNAME
Mellor
FORENAME
Philip Evert McIlvaine
UNIT
1 Bn (B Company)
RANK
Lieutenant
NUMBER
130458
DATE OF DEATH
3rd February 1943
AGE
40
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born London
resided Worcester
son of Sir Frank,Kt,B.A.,LL.B...
-
SURNAME
Bainbridge
FORENAME
Horace Nathaniel
UNIT
1 Bn
RANK
Private
NUMBER
550613
DATE OF DEATH
3rd February 1943
AGE
30
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 35
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born South Shields,Co.Durham
son of Nathaniel Taylor and Frances Ida...
-
SURNAME
Benton
FORENAME
Harold
UNIT
1 Bn
RANK
Private
NUMBER
2066230
DATE OF DEATH
1st January 1943
AGE
22
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 35
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Nottinghamshire
son of Joseph Charles and Mabel Benton,Clipstone,Nottinghamshire
former...
-
SURNAME
Baxter
FORENAME
Edwin George
UNIT
1 Bn
RANK
Sergeant
NUMBER
6205673
DATE OF DEATH
11th December 1942
AGE
21
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born London N
resided London N
son of Christopher and Nellie Gertrude Baxter,South...
-
SURNAME
Bilbey
FORENAME
Jack Edmund
UNIT
1 Bn
RANK
Lance Corporal
NUMBER
6204566
DATE OF DEATH
1st December 1942
AGE
24
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born London NW
resided London NW
son of Charles Henry and Edith Ellen...
-
SURNAME
Stewart
FORENAME
John Rattray Chalmers
UNIT
1 Bn
RANK
Captain
NUMBER
92023
DATE OF DEATH
24th November 1942
AGE
23
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 33
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Wallasey,Cheshire
resided Wallasey,Cheshire
son of Captain C.H.,MC and...
-
SURNAME
Wertheim
FORENAME
Gerhard
UNIT
2 SAS
RANK
Private
NUMBER
BNA/13809492
DATE OF DEATH
2nd December 1944
AGE
30
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 38
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit 337 (Alien) Company,Pioneer Corps
son of Solomon and Selma...
-
SURNAME
Wright
FORENAME
Henry
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
3525264
DATE OF DEATH
6th January 1943
AGE
30
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 19
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Cheshire Regiment
former Manchester Regiment
born Manchester
resided...
-
SURNAME
Whelan
FORENAME
Jack
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
4867187
DATE OF DEATH
6th December 1942
AGE
26
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 17
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Leicestershire Regiment
born London SW
resided London SW
son of John and...
-
SURNAME
Weekes
FORENAME
Sydney George Douglas
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Fusilier
NUMBER
6482277
DATE OF DEATH
1st December 1942
AGE
25
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 15
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
born Kent...
-
SURNAME
Weaver
FORENAME
Edward Walter
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
3973708
DATE OF DEATH
1st December 1942
AGE
20
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 23
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Welch Regiment
born Chester
resided Chester
son of David William...
-
SURNAME
Strange
FORENAME
George
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
3389775
DATE OF DEATH
6th January 1943
AGE
27
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 20
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit East Lancashire Regiment
born Lancashire
son of Sidney and Matilda...
-
SURNAME
Stewart
FORENAME
John Rattray Chalmers
UNIT
former 2 Commando
RANK
Captain
NUMBER
92023
DATE OF DEATH
24th November 1942
AGE
23
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 23
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit 8 Bn King's Regiment (Liverpool)
born...
-
SURNAME
Smith
FORENAME
George Edward
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
5051523
DATE OF DEATH
24th-25th November 1942
AGE
23
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 28
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit 2 Bn North Staffordshire Regiment
born Staffordshire
son of...
-
SURNAME
Slavin
FORENAME
Gerrard
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
7942540
DATE OF DEATH
6th December 1942
AGE
22
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 23
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Welch Regiment
born Fife
son of James and Annie (nee Ward)...
-
SURNAME
Slater
FORENAME
Arthur
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
4128169
DATE OF DEATH
6th January 1943
AGE
25
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 19
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Cheshire Regiment
born Birkenhead,Cheshire
resided Birkenhead,Cheshire
son...
-
SURNAME
Scott
FORENAME
John Murray
UNIT
6 Commando (3 Troop)
RANK
Captain
NUMBER
124144
DATE OF DEATH
30th November 1942
AGE
26
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 21
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Border Regiment
born London
resided London NW
son of John...